The Jungle Pride
by Anonymous13 B
Summary: After being severely humiliated by the cubs, Simba decides to run away from the Pride Lands. But when he arrives in the jungle, the sinister King Khara may have plans for him...
1. Chapter 1

I'm back! I haven't been around for almost a week! I enjoyed my out-of-town weekend, and I got the chance to re-watch _Ice Age 4_ with a relative. What can I say about that film? Gutt and Shira are awesome!

At any rate, it seems you've all been looking forward to meeting this new villain, so here we go!

**Greg M 94:** They definitely are good-for-nothing brats. Actually, scratch that. They are good at one thing—being entertaining baddies for you guys!

**Kora22:** I'm really glad you liked it. And yes, she definitely deserved that.

**Emerald dreamer96:** No, he definitely isn't on top. You'll see.

**Chu10:** Yes, he does have a rather adult mind despite being the youngest. And yes, I deliberately modeled Simba and Vitani's fight on the climax of the film, while still twisting it to make it my own. I figured it was the closest the series would ever come to having that scene.

**the-mysterious-other:** I think that's going to be a running gag in this series.

* * *

**The Jungle Pride**

**Chapter One: Abject Humiliation**

"Hey! Look who's coming our way!"

"It's the prince who didn't wanna bathe!"

"He had to have a _girl _do it for him!"

Simba had been suffering a lot of abuse lately. About a week ago, Simba had been attacked by his cousins Vitani and Nuka. The fact that they had viciously fought Simba and Nala, covering them both with scratches, was bad enough, but Vitani had also decided to get Simba covered in mud before bathing him in the waterhole in front of the dozens of cubs that frequented the area. Although Simba had managed to kick Vitani into a thorn bush and get her in trouble with Mufasa, the royal cub had not had a break from the teases and taunts since then.

"Just stop it guys!" Simba yelled at the jeering crowd. He honestly didn't understand. He was the prince. Why did they feel they had the right to treat him that way?

"Move over, everyone," commanded a voice from within the crowd. The cubs all moved to make way for a yellow-orange cub with a dark brown tuft on his head. Trotting behind him was a girl cub that bore a strong resemblance to the boy, yet had slightly more yellowish fur.

"Hello there, Simba," the boy cub hissed in a voice that sounded tough yet sophisticated at the same time.

"What do you want, Ibada?" Simba asked in a furious tone.

"Well, my wussy little friend, I simply wanted to say hi, as well as introduce Sheeta, my sister."

Sheeta approached Simba, who began slowly backing up. Sheeta was by no means an attractive cub, nor was she entirely ugly. In fact, among cubs, she was the very definition of "average." She smiled at Simba, but the smile came off as unsettling rather than seductive.

"You're such a handsome cub," she purred as she walked closer toward him. "Your fur is so shiny and clean, especially after that bath!" She began gently stroking his fur, upon which he jumped and sprang away.

"After him!" Ibada shouted. About five other cubs charged after the prince and tackled him to the ground.

Ibada began slowly walking towards Simba, with Sheeta in tow.

"Hehehehe…" Ibada chuckled. "Now Simba, you should apologize to Sheeta for doing that. It's not very nice to do what you just did. Come on. Get up now. Apologize."

The other cubs let go of Simba, who slowly padded over to Sheeta, who affected a hurt look on her face.

_She's trying to guilt-trip me,_ Simba reasoned in his head. _It's not going to work. I know she's only doing this to aid their sick desire to torture me._

"How about kissing her?" Ibada smugly suggested. "That'll be the only way to make it right."

"No! I refuse!" Simba declared.

Ibada frowned, "It's either that, or we keep bugging you about the bath. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

Simba lowered himself to the ground, his belly touching the grass, as he looked up nervously at the mob of cubs, his eyes darting back and forth.

"Go on!" one of the cubs teased.

"Yeah! Show us you're more than some stupid prince!"

That was it. Simba could not take it any longer. With an angry yowl, he leapt off of the ground and lunged at the cub. The two boys swiped at each other ferociously, neither making a direct hit, until Simba unsheathed his claws and scratched the other cub across the cheek.

Simba's eyes widened in horror, and in that instant, he turned and ran off as quickly as possible. One of the cubs attempted to run after him, but Ibada blocked his way with a paw.

"Do not follow him, cubs. Something will happen to that little runt. And I sure hope I get to see it."

* * *

Simba finally stopped running. He panted heavily, his eyes bulging out of his head, and his fur filled with dust.

"I've gotta get out of here," he realized. "I have to run away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Leaving the Pride Lands**

After making this realization, Simba made another discovery.

_I'll have to say goodbye to everybody_, he decided. _I sure wish they'd been with me the past few days. Nala's been forced to keep watch on Mheetu all this time, and the others have all been doing those nature walks with Mom and Zazu. This is making me wish I'd joined them. If Nala had gone with them, I would have._

He smiled momentarily while thinking of his best friend, but he then shook his head and regained his seriousness. He then began walking towards the edge of the Pride Lands.

* * *

Mufasa sat at the very top of Pride Rock, surveying his massive kingdom. A certain colorful baboon stood beside him, holding his gourd-adorned staff.

"Rafiki," Mufasa asked, "I'm a bit worried about Simba. Ever since he came back from your place, he hasn't been the same. Every time I see him now, he seems very depressed. What I can't figure out is, is this purely because of what Vitani did, or is something else going on?"

Rafiki held a hand to his chin, stroking his long white beard. After shaking his head, he responded, "Rafiki cannot answer dis question at dis time. Rafiki knows not what is going on in de young prince's head. Perhaps de only solution is to talk to him."

Mufasa sighed heavily. "I know. But I haven't been able to speak to him lately. He barely even says hello to me anymore, which I _know_ is unusual."

"Well," Rafiki advised, "it is best to not disturb him during dis troubled time. Perhaps you ought to have Nala reach out to him. He'd be more willing to talk to her, I bet."

"You're right," Mufasa smiled. "I'll go and find her."

He started to descend, but he turned back to Rafiki and smiled, "Thank you."

"You are very welcome, Your Majesty."

* * *

By this time, Simba had reached the border of the Pride Lands. He stood on the very last patch of grass, and he stood there, staring at the endless golden desert that lay ahead.

"Simba! Where are you going?" a familiar voice shouted. Simba turned around, and it brightened his heart to see Nala running towards him.

"Simba! Your dad sent me to find you! He says you've been running around depressed all the time, and now you're here, at the edge of the Pride Lands! What's going on?"

"Nala, I'm running away," he explained. "All the other cubs have been teasing me this whole past week about what Vitani did to me."

"They're teasing you because of Vitani?" Nala shouted incredulously. "I'd like to punch every last one of them…including Vitani."

"We already took care of her, at least for now," Simba pointed out. "Now we have to deal with all of them. Nala, I scratched another cub in the face."

"Did he attack you first?"

"Well, he said mean things to me, and that made me attack him."

Nala sighed. She didn't know what to think.

"Simba, please don't leave," she begged him, practically on the verge of tears. "I don't want you to leave. Your parents don't want you to leave. And what about our friends?"

"Nala, I've made my decision," Simba sighed. "Maybe I'll come back, someday."

He then placed a paw on the hot sand, and crossed a few feet into the desert before he stopped. He then turned around and faced his best friend. "Goodbye Nala. I'll miss you."

He then sped off into the desert, kicking up dust and blocking Nala's view of him.

"Simba! Simba!" Nala called out in vain. Her cries went unanswered as her best friend vanished from sight. She then curled into a ball and cried herself to sleep in the mid-morning sun.

* * *

Oh my! Those were some rather depressing chapters, huh? Don't worry, the whole story won't be this way. This was necessary in order to set up the vastly more entertaining main plot. Well, I will see you guys tomorrow, and we finally get to meet our long-awaited antagonist!


	3. Chapter 3

Well, it seems this story has thus far been well-received.

Before you read this, go ahead and listen to George Sanders's voice a little bit, because it's his voice that gives life to tonight's villain!

**ThatPersonYouMightKnow:** Simba is not good with bullies. He handled Vitani pretty well, but she only had one supporter. And yeah, you'd think he'd want company, but he has a good reason…

**Emerald dreamer96:** She seemed slightly out of character? I don't know. She could have been more forceful, certainly, but I think she was too much in a state of shock at the time to think clearly.

**Kora22:** They are indeed brats. First Mheetu, then Vitani and Nuka, and now these guys. And yes, those other cubs are definitely fools.

**WordFighter:** It does seem rash, doesn't it? You'll see why…

**Greg M 94:** I'm glad I made you feel bad for her. That's the sign of effective writing. As for the antagonist, we'll meet him right now!

* * *

**Chapter Three: King Khara**

The afternoon sun had peaked in the desert, scorching the rocks and sand until they were sizzling red-hot. Simba plodded along, his eyes half-closed, and his tongue lolling out like a hyena as he panted heavily. He decided to stop and rest for a few minutes, even though he was completely exposed to the hot sunlight. His mind was truly scrambled at this point…

_Why didn't I take her with me?_ he asked himself. _You know why, Simba. She didn't do anything wrong, and you're leaving because you scratched another cub on the face. Plus, she still has the responsibility to watch Mheetu. If I took her with me, who knows what that cub would do._

Simba then straightened his legs and continued on. He could see a mass of palm trees in the distance.

_Wow! Maybe that's the jungle,_ Simba reasoned. _I've always wanted to explore there. Now might be my chance!_

With a spring in his step and a lighter mood in his heart, Simba started towards the distant jungle…

* * *

Nala woke up from her sleep, rubbing her eyes with her paws as she did so. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes fully was the vast empty desert, a desert she now knew contained Simba somewhere in its unimaginable vastness.

_Why didn't I go with him?_ she asked herself. _I guess I just didn't know what to do. That's not like him to run away like that. Those cubs must have really traumatized him. Boy, I'd really like to thrash every last one of them._

She then stood up. She knew what she had to do.

_I'll follow him_, she decided. _I should have followed him when he tried to run away. Forget Mheetu! He's probably chasing mice right now, anyway._

She began running into the desert, intent on finding her friend.

"I'm coming Simba!"

* * *

Deep in the jungle, a dark-brown antelope with grey horns was lapping up the fresh cold water from the stream that coursed through the whole jungle. Suddenly, the antelope heard a sound and raised its head in alarm. Its ears twitched in every direction, and its eyes were wide with worry. All around the antelope were snapping branches, crackling grasses, and low, threatening growls. The hoofed animal stood frozen, unsure of which direction its attackers were coming from. Finally the antelope could stand it no more. It turned and ran towards the thick tangle of brush, only to come face-to-face with a snarling lioness as she leapt out of the bush, straight at the hapless herbivore.

The frightened ungulate turned the other way, only to come upon another two lionesses who mimicked the action of the first, and soon the antelope was trapped in a circle, the entire clearing guarded by a circle of tough-looking lionesses. Every last one of them smiled sadistically and leapt for the kill.

As they tore into the antelope's flesh, a suave voice intoned, "Well done, ladies. You were quite successful at bringing this inferior creature down. Now step aside so that your king may eat."

Out from the shadowy jungle vines stepped a muscular lion with vibrant scarlet fur, an enormous chin, a white belly, and a dark maroon mane. He confidently sat down and began tearing into the antelope carcass.

"I tell you," he mumbled as he ate, "there is no group of animals on this earth better than us. Look at me, for example. I'm strong, handsome, cunning, and ruthless. That is, of course, everything a king of my like needs to be. And look at all of you! Beautiful, intelligent huntresses! If we wanted, we could take the whole of Africa by force!"

"Yes, King Khara," the lionesses chanted. "We will take all of Africa for you."

"That's what I like to hear. Hehehehehehahahahaha!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Simba Finds the Pride**

By now, Simba had wandered into the jungle, and was walking through the path—if it could truly be called a path—as the sounds of jungle wildlife echoed through the lush paradise.

"Wow, it's so green!" Simba exclaimed. _Now I really wish Nala was here…If we'd all come here, this would have been a really cool expedition._

Simba shook his head and walked off into the jungle. He wanted to forget about everything and everyone back home, at least for the next few hours. He had a jungle to explore.

* * *

Khara slowly padded through his evergreen kingdom, clicking his claws against the ground as he surveyed his domain.

"Ah…my kingdom is quite the bountiful land, isn't it?"

To his right, Khara could hear something moving in the brush. He cocked his head to the side and listened.

He soon heard a cub mutter, "Stupid vine-infested jungle! _Grgh!_ Can't even—_ugh!_—fight my way through here!"

Khara paused. "Hmm…How interesting," he chuckled. He then began to walk calmly and confidently towards where the sounds had come from.

"And now for my rendezvous with the little lost lion cub…"

* * *

Simba was now tangled in jungle vines, and the golden cub was making a pitiful attempt to kick and claw his way out.

"Just-have to-bite-this-one vine," he muttered as he strained to reach a particular vine. When he leaned in, however, he suddenly swung back to his original position.

"Argh! It's no use! I'll never get out of these stupid vines!"

"Perhaps someone can help," a smooth voice intoned from the shadows. Simba paused, and watched as Khara slowly walked towards him. Khara had a sinister smile on his face, which unnerved Simba, but he seemed like he wanted to help.

"Who-who are you?" Simba nervously asked the strange lion.

"Could it be possible that you don't know who I am? I'm King Khara, ruler of the Jungle Pride. I know this territory like my own paws."

Khara unsheathed his claws and sliced away the vines, freeing Simba, who fell to his stomach on the ground. The golden cub looked up at Khara.

"Tell me, cub, what are you doing all the way out here? It's not often we have visitors."

"I-I had to run away from my old pride."

"Oh? And why's that? Don't hold back, cub."

"Well…a while ago, my cousin humiliated me in front of all the other cubs. And so, they've been teasing me for the past week. Finally, today I struck one in the face. And I'm really worried about them retaliating, as well as how my parents would react. So I ran off. I left my family, my friends…even the girl I like."

"Well, that's quite the story. Come with me. I think you'll find the jungle is much more tolerant of violent actions than whatever kingdom it is that you come from. In fact, we don't just tolerate bloodshed, we _encourage_ it."

At this point, Khara wore an absolutely terrifying smile, a smile that emanated pure evil from the depths of his very soul—if he had one to begin with. Simba cowered to the ground, unsure of what to think of this lion. Was he a friend, or a foe?

"Um…Khara? How do I know I can trust you?"

"Because you don't have a choice."

"Good answer."

* * *

The lionesses were resting in a clear spot in the jungle, a large circular spot with no plants that was simply a flat dirt surface. This was the Jungle Pride's hideout, and adjacent to the circle was the cave where they all slept. They were all anxiously awaiting their king's return.

"Look!" a lioness called out. "His Majesty has a cub with him!"

Khara and Simba stopped once they entered the circle. "Ladies, I wish to introduce a new member of our pride! This is Simba, a runaway from a distant pride. He only came here today! The other cubs have teased him ruthlessly, and today he scratched one on the face! Now he has fled his homeland in shame, and has come to us! Lionesses, we will accept him as a new member of our pride. He is a bright young child, and I see much potential in him. We will have him live with us, and we will transform him from this little cub into a strong young lion!"

Simba did not know what to think. This king intended on keeping him all the way into adulthood? He was really going to spend the rest of his cubhood here, away from his friends and family? Away from Nala?

"Um, Khara?" Simba meekly asked. The scarlet king turned towards him.

"Yes?" Khara smiled.

"You really want me to stay here for the rest of my life?"

"Of course I do! You're a bright young cub, and I have no offspring of my own, or even a queen among these lionesses. I see great potential in you, Simba. There's no limit to what we could accomplish together if you help me now."

"I really appreciate it, Khara, but I do have friends and family to go back to. I only wanted to stay a few days."

"How about you try it out for a week? Then if you don't like it, you can waltz on back home to your pathetic pride where no one seems to like you."

"There's a lot of people who like me! That's the point! I have so much to go back to!"

"Do we have a deal?" Khara snarled subtly. The king was a calm and confident individual, but Simba was beginning to irritate him…

"Yes," Simba sighed. He then followed Khara back to the clearing.

The two approached one of the older lionesses, and Khara pushed Simba towards her.

"Raise him," he instructed. He then leaned down to give Simba one last warning.

"I want to make this clear, Simba. Everything you've ever known is gone. You had friends? You'll find yourself alone in this jungle save for me. You were able to enjoy footloose freedom and caring, relaxed parenting? Not anymore. You are but a slave and an apprentice now. From this point forth, you are not to speak unless spoken to, or question even one word that I utter. I am the king! You break even one boundary set by any of us? You will be punished severely."

Khara walked away, satisfied. As he walked, he sang to himself, "I'm cruel as the mid-day sun, equipped with a fearsome bellow. And all who see me turn and run, though I'm a handsome fellow. Hehehehehe…."

* * *

Back in the Pridelands, Mufasa was standing at the edge of Pride Rock when Sarabi and Sarafina ran up the massive rock structure. By the time they reached him. they were panting heavily, completely out of breath.

"Sarabi? Sarafina? What is it?" he asked in a concerned voice.

"It's the cubs," Sarabi explained between breaths. "Nobody's seen Simba or Nala all day!"

Sarafina added, "From what little anyone seems to know, it looks like they ran out of the Pride Lands!"

* * *

Well, this was quite the pair of chapters, wasn't it? Khara seems like an interesting fellow, doesn't he? Anyone guess what Disney villain inspired him? He might end up being the equivalent of Hago in this series. Poor Simba has certainly been thrust into an awful situation too. Come back tomorrow, and we'll see how he fares with the Jungle Pride!


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry about the delay! I really wanted to make these good! Well, it seems that, even though you all still seem a little confused with matters concerning Simba, everyone appears to like Khara so far! That's good, because you'll be seeing a lot more of him!

Anyway, at the end of the story I'll reveal what villain he's inspired by. See if you can guess before then. His dialogue in the previous chapters (including the song) might be a helpful clue…

**ThatPersonYouMightKnow:** As we all know very well, Simba is a rather over-emotional individual, which you demonstrated numerous times in your series. You're right about Nala though. And yes, these two chapters will provide time for more intimate interaction between them.

**Chu10:** If it were just the teasing, he might have consulted the adults. Remember, he attacked one of the cubs too. Pity he doesn't realize Mufasa knows the difference between a provoked and unprovoked attack. As for Khara, he reminded you of Nigel? I never thought of him, though I do like that character.

**Kora22:** Yes, he is very self-absorbed. I reread through all of my PM correspondences with you and could not find where it was I shared that information with you.

**Greg M 94:** "There's an air of hatred all around him, yet he is so sleek when he employs it." I would call that another helpful hint as to who inspired him…

* * *

**Chapter Five: Life in the Jungle**

It was early morning when Simba awoke to find himself in the cave, trapped in a tight grip by his new adoptive mother.

_She's crushing me!_ Simba thought as he tried to escape her paws. He then stopped when he noticed she was beginning to wake up.

"Hello, my little cub," she smiled in a sinister voice.

"Good morning, uh…"

"Kali," she answered. "But you're supposed to call me Mom now, remember?"

"Okay…Mom," Simba sighed. He hated having to call this lioness his mother, but for the time being, it seemed he had no other option.

"Let's see here," Kali muttered to herself as she examined Simba. His fur stuck out in places, and it looked like he had a lot of dust on him from journeying through the desert yesterday…

"I think you could use a little grooming," she smiled, and Simba widened his eyes. Kali extended her tongue and began to bathe Simba, squeezing him to her chest with her paw as she did so.

_Why this?_ he asked himself. _Now it's even worse after everything leading up to coming here…_

Under normal conditions, Simba would have yelled and complained so loudly that any creature within a mile could hear it. But after Khara's harsh warning yesterday, he decided it was better to try and contain it.

When she was done bathing her new cub, Kali unsheathed the claws from her right paw and began to comb Simba's fur. Simba grimaced widely, discovering he hated this almost as much as the bath. After about a minute, she finished this task and picked him up by the scruff with her mouth before walking out of the den.

Khara stood in the center of the clearing, smiling happily. Simba had to admit, this guy's constantly cheerful mood was both reassuring and unnerving at the same time…

_I guess it's because he thinks he's so powerful,_ Simba reasoned in his head. _Wait—scratch that. He is powerful. He could probably have a decent fight with Dad. I bet he'd beat poor Uncle Scar to a pulp, though._

Kali set the cub down, and Simba was now at Khara's feet, looking up at the imposing king.

Khara smiled, "Well, Simba, it's time to begin your training."

As Simba trotted alongside him, Khara began to speak. "Simba, I wanted to explain that I won't normally be as harsh as I was last night. I think now that my warning seems to have registered with you, the two of us can be on good terms. You might actually enjoy some of your training."

"What are we gonna do?" Simba eagerly asked.

"Enthusiasm! I like it. Well, cub, first we are going to attack monkeys."

"Don't you mean hunt?" Simba asked.

"No," Khara smiled. "One thing you will need to learn here is that there is no 'hunting' like you're used to in whichever pride you came from. We don't kill for food in this pride. We kill for fun."

"To be honest, that doesn't sound very fun…" Simba muttered.

"Well, you say that now, but that's because you've never experienced that rush, that feeling of sheer _power_, of ultimate dominion! That feeling you get when the life of another creature is entirely in your paws…and you kill it without a second thought! It's a beautiful feeling, I tell you, and after today, you will see for yourself!"

"Sounds like a few people back home…" Simba commented.

"Really? See, they have the right idea, whoever they are!"

"If you say so."

"Good. Now we'll go find those monkeys…"

* * *

Out in the desert, just barely on the outskirts of the jungle, Nala was walking through the hot sand.

"Whew," she sighed as she wiped her forehead. _I didn't think the jungle would be here! Let's hope Simba had some sense and stayed here last night. Better than sleeping in the middle of the open desert like me…_

She bounded into the lush green jungle, determined to find Simba. Little did she know what else she would find…

* * *

Simba and Khara crept slowly through the jungle grass, stomachs flat against the ground, spying on a congregation of monkeys that had descended from the treetops to drink from a small pool. There were at least twenty of them there…

"Now, the key is to not appear to be a threat. Just stay low to the ground."

_Those were the same words Dad used when he was teaching me how to pounce on Zazu,_ Simba remembered.

"You go on ahead. They know me. Try and reel them in. You seem to be an outgoing and pleasant person. Make some small talk with them. Then I'll come in and we'll get two or three of them."

Simba nodded solemnly. He then slid out of the grass and approached the monkeys.

"Hey monkeys! I just came to this jungle, and I'm really lost! Could you please help me find a place to stay?"

_I can't do this,_ Simba realized. _I can't let Khara make me into a killer. What would Dad think? Or Mom? What about Nala?_

_I'll just have to fake it_, he decided. _I'll make it look like I killed one of them!_

Simba then walked towards one of the monkeys, and Khara watched, smiling. Within seconds, the golden cub pounced onto one of the monkeys as the others ran away, chattering in terror.

Simba batted at the monkey until it was lying on the ground, unconscious. Simba stepped back a few feet as Khara approached, and put on a fake smile that resembled Khara's.

"Well done, Simba. See how fun it is?"

"Yeah," Simba lied in a smooth manner. "But why is it we feel that? Why don't we feel remorse?"

"We always have the strength to endure the misfortunes of others."

Simba ignored Khara as he stepped aside and let the king inspect the unconscious primate. Khara repeatedly prodded it with his paw, not even noticing as Simba slipped away in the grass.

"It's not dead," Khara realized. "It's not dead!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: The Reunion**

Nala had been walking through the jungle for the past few hours, and there was still no sign of Simba. She finally decided that she would call out to him.

"SIIIIIMBAAAA!" she cried. "SIIIIIMBAAAA! Where are you?"

Off in the distance, Simba perked up upon hearing Nala's voice. He began to run towards the source of the sound.

"SIMBA!" she called again. Nala hung her head low, her voice worn out and her heart heavy.

"I'm right here Nala!" a voice shouted from behind her.

Nala turned around. There, standing in front of her, was the very golden cub she was searching for.

"Simba!" she cried before tackling him to the ground. "Ha! Pinned Ya!"

Simba suddenly realized he was once again pinned under his best friend. He smiled at her.

"I've never been so happy to see you!" she exclaimed.

"Nor have I," Simba responded.

The two cubs decided to get up, and they sat next to each other before talking.

"Nala, we have to get out of here. I've been adopted by a pride of psychos!"

"Good, because we've got a pride of our own waiting for us!"

The two then sprinted off, but before they could get very far, a lioness sped out of the grass and stopped them in their tracks. More lionesses soon formed a circle around the two cubs, blocking their escape.

"Hello again, Simba," Khara drawled as he stepped out of the shadows. "Forgive me if I interrupted anything. It seemed like you two were having a conversation."

"Bring them back," he instructed the lionesses. "We can adopt them both now."

* * *

When the pride reached the clearing, Khara shoved Simba and Nala into the den.

"Simba, I was very disappointed to find that that monkey was not dead. You not only lied to me, but you failed in your task. Let this be a little warning."

Khara smiled before placing his paw on Simba's side and unsheathing his claws. Simba grimaced in pain as blood flowed out of the wound.

"Hmm hmm hmmm hmmm hmm. That, I believe, does it," Khara smiled before pulling his blood-soaked claws out of Simba's side.

"You can't win!" Nala shouted. "Everyone in the Pride Lands will come looking for us! You'll be sorry then!"

"The Pride Lands!" Khara smiled ecstatically, his eyes and smile the brightest they had ever been. "These two will be even more useful than I thought…"

As he walked away, he explained, "You two have one hour to talk. Then, I will take Simba back to give him another chance at killing those monkeys. Have fun!"

With Khara out of sight, Simba lied down on the ground as Nala placed her paws on his wounds.

"That Khara's a psycho! How'd you end up with these guys?"

"They live here," Simba explained.

"And why does he keep talking about you killing monkeys?" she asked.

"He wants to start training me to be like one of them. He was going to have me kill a clan of monkeys. I did attack one, but I only knocked it unconscious. I ran off while he was inspecting it. Not long after that, I heard you calling for me."

"Simba," Nala asked. "Why did you run away so suddenly? And why didn't you take me?"

"Why didn't you try to persuade me otherwise?" Simba asked in response. "That surprised me most."

"I'll tell you if you tell me."

"Okay," Simba sighed as he took a deep breath. "I didn't want to take you because I was deliberately running off to places that might not be safe. You didn't do anything wrong. I've probably left permanent scars on that cub's cheek."

"Trust me, Simba. From what you told me yesterday, it sounds like they all deserve that."

"I'm still worried about how Mom and Dad will react. I'm just so worried that they'll misunderstand everything and—"

"Simba, your mom and dad are the kindest, most understanding lions I know, besides my mom," Nala reassured him. "Trust me, if you just tell them what happened, nothing will happen to you."

"Okay, we talked about me. Now, on to you. Why didn't you just come with me anyway?"

"Well, for one thing, I was too surprised by the whole thing to really react properly. It's not every day your best friend suddenly runs away. That, and I still felt some responsibility for Mheetu. For everything he is, he's still my brother. But then I decided you were more important. My mom can take care of him. But you, I knew you had nobody out here."

"Thanks, Nala. You're the best friend anyone could ask for."

_Someday, she'll be more than my friend. I just know it…_

"Well Simba, do you wanna relax a little bit before King Crazy comes back? We can't exactly play-fight with you having those wounds."

"I know. Just when we left Rafiki, now we're gonna have to go back to him. But yeah, we'll just relax."

The two cubs then snuggled up and fell asleep.

* * *

At the very edge of the Pride Lands, a massive congregation was ready to head out into the desert. Mufasa and Sarabi were in the lead, along with Sarafina, about five other lionesses, and the cubs.

"Well, everyone," Mufasa began, "it seems like this was where Simba and Nala were before they took off. Who knows what might have motivated them to leave, but we'll have a long talk with them about it."

The golden king was trying to appear firm, but deep inside, Mufasa knew this probably had something to do with Simba's recent depressed attitude.

"At any rate," he continued, "we'll find them. Let's go."

The lionesses and cubs followed their king through the desert, and while most of the cubs were conversing in the back, the smallest was walking alongside his mother.

"Do you think Nala's all right?" Mheetu asked his mother.

"I sure hope so, Mheetu," Sarafina responded.

"If she's been harmed in any way," he snarled, "then Simba will be the one who pays!"

Mufasa and Sarabi widened their eyes simultaneously, but decided to press on. There were more important things to take care of…like bringing the two cubs home.

* * *

Well, what did you all think of these two chapters? Khara is such a posh killer, isn't he? Remember to review and voice your speculation as to his inspiration! Did you like the intimate moment with Simba and Nala there? I sure hope you did. And what of Mheetu finally demonstrated a (slightly) softer side? Well, tune in later, because in a day or two, we'll finally get to the climactic chapter you've all been waiting for!


	7. Chapter 7

I'm so sorry about the extremely long delay! I've just been so busy with other things, plus I'm more motivated by positive reviews. Nonetheless, here is your final chapter!

**kora22:** Yeah, there may be consequences for Mheetu's comment…

**Greg M 94:** They are a "pride of nutjobs," aren't they? Well, they'll get what's coming. You'll see.

**ThatPersonYouMightKnow:** I'm glad you liked these last two chapters! And yes, Shere Khan is the basis for Khara! Sorry, Nigel fans!

**i wont tell:** Ah, my first flamer…You do have some nerve. You obviously can't write a coherent review, yet you decided to tell a person who's written well over 100 original film outlines that he can't write? Your logic is quite skewed…

**simbaanaya:** You're right, I don't know you or your mother. Why would I? Nonetheless, I wish to thank you for your reassuring words after the flamer's comments.

**Chu10:** I don't see the Nigel elements, given he's inspired by Shere Khan, but I suppose it makes sense. I tried to slow the pace, actually. I feel that if ThatPersonYouMightKnow is pleased, then I've done a good job. Nonetheless, I truly value your opinion, and it seems you will be one of my most loyal readers. As for Pride Rock, you'll see…

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Battle in the Jungle(**20 pages**)**

Deep inside the cave, Simba and Nala were sleeping on the cold stone floor, Simba's wound still bleeding slightly. The cub was smiling, for he was having a most pleasant dream.

_Simba and Nala were frolicking in the grass, back in the Pride Lands. Nala was running ahead, with Simba chasing behind her._

"_You'll never catch up, Simba!" she called back happily._

"_Oh, you just wait," Simba grinned as he ran toward her._

_He soon tackled her, and they rolled along the ground until Nala was on top of Simba._

"_You want me to kiss you, right?" Nala smiled seductively._

"_Yeah," Simba nodded, his eyes half closed._

_As Nala leaned in, her beautiful face was replaced by the terrible visage of Khara, smiling wickedly as he raised a paw to the air, claws unsheathed._

"_You won't live to see this moment, Pridelander! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"_

_Simba shrieked in terror as Khara swiped his paw…_

"AAAAHH!" the golden cub screamed as he sat up, panting and trembling in terror. Nala bolted up, awakened by Simba's outburst. She immediately ran toward him and grasped him in a tight hug.

"It's okay, ssshhh…It's just a nightmare, Simba. What happened?"

Simba explained, "I was playing with you in the field, and then you pinned me, and…" Simba briefly paused, not wanting to reveal the next part, but skipped over it and continued, "then you turned into Khara, and he killed me in the dream."

"Oh," Nala sighed. She understood completely. "I hope your dad and everyone else finds us. Then we can get away from here. King Khara is terrifying. I can see why you're so frightened of him."

Simba nodded. It took a lot for something to frighten Nala. She and Mufasa were the bravest lions he knew…

Just then, Khara sauntered towards the den. He briefly watched the two of them as they relaxed, then made his entrance.

"Hello cubs," he purred. "Did you enjoy your hour of relaxation?"

"Yes," Simba smiled. "We did. Thank you. Really."

"Glad to hear you enjoyed something in this jungle," Khara sighed. "It took her presence, but I suppose that works."

He smiled again, and nodded his head to beckon Simba out of the cave. The golden cub slowly trotted out, but he turned to look back at Nala.

"Good luck!" she called out.

Simba smiled to himself as he trotted alongside Khara, who smiled along with him.

* * *

At the edge of the jungle, the Pridelanders were just beginning to penetrate the dark depths of the jungle.

"Mufasa," Sarabi asked, "do you really think it's a good idea to leave Zazu and the other lionesses in charge of the kingdom?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Mufasa asked in return. "And why are we talking about that at this particular time?"

"Just asking," she responded. "I trust your instincts, my king."

"Do you think we'll find them, King Mufasa sir?" Chumvi asked.

"Well," Mufasa responded, "I certainly hope so."

The group then pressed forward into the jungle.

* * *

Khara and Simba were crouched low in the jungle grass, watching as one of the dark brown antelopes was grazing.

"Now, I know it seems intimidating, but don't underestimate your strength, Simba. I've heard tales of a cub your age that's capable of murdering adult lions. I don't remember what his name was or what pride he originated from, but it's an outstanding example you should follow. You have the potential within you, Simba. Don't waste it."

Simba crouched low to the ground, figuring out how he was going to accomplish the seemingly difficult task of killing a full-grown antelope equipped with sharp horns and hooves. Without a second thought he leapt through the air at the swift creature, but before he could make contact with the antelope, a massive creamy blur flashed through the air and landed between Simba and the antelope.

Simba looked up, and his eyes widened with surprise when he saw who it was.

"S-S-Sarafina? What are you doing here?"

"We wanted to find you," she smiled sweetly.

"Oh, so you know this lioness," Khara smiled. He walked towards Sarafina in a confident manner, smiling at her.

"It's not often we get such attractive lionesses out here," Khara purred as he caressed her face with his tail. "Come with me…Sarafina. Even your name is lovely. I have no queen, and you would be the ideal candidate. Look at this beautiful greenery! It would be yours!"

Sarafina pondered this proposition.

_He is rather charming, but he's obviously up to no good. He was going to have Simba leap at that antelope for whatever reason, which I'm sure would have ended in failure. Maybe if I go with him, I can infiltrate the pride, find Nala, and distract him while everyone else follows!_

The beautiful lioness smiled, "If I'm to be queen, shouldn't I meet our subjects first?"

"Of course, my exquisite acquaintance," Khara purred as he led Sarafina towards the pride, Simba trotting along behind him.

Mufasa and Sarabi sat crouched in the brush, not believing what they had just witnessed.

"She's very resourceful," Sarabi commented. "Let's follow them."

"I'll get the others," Mufasa declared. "You go on ahead. I'll be right behind you."

As Sarabi began on her way, Mufasa shook his head.

_Whatever that lion intends to do with Simba and Nala,_ he decided, _he won't get the chance. Not if I have anything to say about it._

* * *

As Simba, Sarafina and Khara approached the pride, all of the jungle lionesses turned their heads and bowed before the king.

"Ladies," Khara explained, "this is to be your new queen, Sarafina. She wishes to get to know the lay of the land before she officially agrees to take her place as my bride."

Nala sat up, her ears perked up and her eyes wide with shock. "Mom's here?" she asked herself. _If Khara thinks he's gonna marry my mom, he's going to be in for a shock._

Nala then stepped out of the cavern. "Mom?" she asked.

"Nala!" Sarafina cried as she ran to her daughter, licking and nuzzling her nonstop.

"So this is your daughter," Khara smiled. "I thought I saw a resemblance. Now it makes sense. Well, in that case, it looks like the four of us will make one happy little royal family!"

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" a distinctive female voice called out.

"Mom!" Simba cried. Sarabi ran through the grass and greeted her son in much the same manner as Sarafina had Nala, except that she also embraced her son in a tight hug.

"I missed you so much, Mom," Simba smiled.

"Me too," Sarabi sighed.

"How touching," Khara dryly remarked.

"Oh no you don't!" Kali shrieked. "He's _my_ son, not yours!"

Sarabi let go of Simba and stood snout-to-snout with the snarling Kali.

"Simba is my son, and you will not take him away from me again."

Mufasa and the others soon appeared out of the thick jungle greenery, and Khara smiled.

"Why, King Mufasa," Khara purred, "it is an honor to meet you. I've heard so many tales of your bravery and strong leadership, I never figured they could possibly be true. But now that I see you, it seems those stories were right after all."

"What is it you want with Sarafina and the cubs?"

"Well," Khara explained, "your little son wandered in here yesterday, claiming he had run away out of shame. He scratched another cub on the face, you see, and he was worried about _your_ reaction, if I recall."

Khara chuckled and looked down at Simba, who was staring at his father with pleading eyes.

Mufasa decided to brush aside anything Simba might have done and simply focus on Khara. "Well, what happened after that?"

Khara answered, "Once he came in, I decided I would adopt him as my son, with Kali here serving as his new mother. I was going to train him to be a killer, like all of us. He tricked me when I asked him to kill a monkey earlier. Then his little female friend wandered in, and I decided to simply let both of them stay. And now all of you are here. It was from her that I learned you all came from the Pride Lands. Surrender the kingdom to me, and these cubs go free. If not, they will die!"

"You will do no such thing!" Mufasa roared, and without another word the mighty king leapt at Khara, baring his fangs viciously. The two mighty monarchs began to battle, Mufasa's jaws wrapped around Khara's neck as the scarlet king sank his claws into Mufasa's shoulders. Mufasa roared in pain, and Simba shrank to the ground as he watched the brutal scene.

Sarabi ran to help her husband, but Kali blocked her path. "You're not going anywhere," she snarled. "We're going to resolve this once and for all!"

The two lionesses leapt at each other, and the cubs ran out of their hiding place towards Simba and Nala.

"We thought you guys were goners!" Chumvi shouted.

"Wait," Malka asked himself, "is that..."

Chumvi and Tojo escorted Simba towards Mheetu, Nala, Tama and Kula as Malka walked towards the battle.

"Malka, what are you doing?" Nala shouted over the chaos.

"This pride attacked my pride a while back!" Malka shouted. "That's why I came to live with you guys!"

Everyone's eyes went wide, for they knew instantly what was on Malka's mind: revenge.

Without saying any more, Malka ran at top speed towards Khara and Mufasa. The battle between the two lions was roughly even at this point, with both covered in numerous scratches and bite marks. Malka leapt through the air at Khara.

"This is for my family, you monster!" Malka yelled as he landed on Khara's neck, biting into his mane.

"AAAH!" Khara yowled as he let go of Mufasa to attack the cub. Malka jumped off of Khara's head, prompting the red-furred ruler to chase after him.

"You won't escape the fate of your pathetic pride!" Khara declared. Mufasa got up and pursued Khara in turn.

Soon Malka skidded to a halt, noticing a large pool of green water ahead of him. He looked up as Khara caught up with him.

Khara smiled, "You'll be joining your pride very soon."

At that moment, Mufasa charged at Khara again, and Malka jumped out of the way as quickly as possible.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Khara screamed as both lions tumbled into the pool. With an enormous splash that completely drenched Malka and the rocks, the battle continued to rage underwater.

The other cubs ran towards Malka, watching the surface of the water with anxiety and dread.

Within moments, Mufasa reemerged and slowly swam to shore before pulling himself out of the water. He looked down at the cubs.

"Malka," he declared, "consider your pride avenged."

* * *

Mufasa and the cubs reemerged from the brush, and came upon a fantastic sight. Sarabi stood triumphant over a severely wounded Kali, Sarafina had beaten another lioness, and the remaining five Pridelander lionesses had beaten their own opponents senseless. The few jungle lionesses still standing were in no condition to fight. Without a word, the Pridelanders—adults and cubs—began their long trek home.

* * *

It was very late at night in the den, and most of the Pridelanders had already fallen asleep. Simba and Mufasa, however, were still awake.

"So what made you run away in the first place?" Mufasa asked.

"Well…" Simba began, "the other cubs down at the waterhole have been harassing me about the things Vitani did to me ever since I left Rafiki's place. Yesterday their leader wanted me to kiss his sister."

"Was it one of them you scratched?"

"No. It was some other cub who called me a 'stupid prince.'"

"Trust me, Simba. I fully intend on going down there tomorrow and talking to every single one of those cubs. They don't have the right to treat you—or anyone else—like that."

"Thanks Dad," Simba smiled as he rubbed his head against his father's vibrant red mane.

"Goodnight, Simba."

"Goodnight, Dad."

With that, father and son snuggled down and fell asleep.

* * *

Wow! These final chapters keep getting longer and longer each time! You may notice this is also the first story to not contain the "one-by-one" thought gag. Did you miss it? Well, at least Khara's finally defeated…or is he?

**Next Time:** As Mufasa tries to deal with Simba's tormentors, an old enemy of the kingdom decides to make his return…


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